More support is expected to be announced for jobs and businesses that are affected by coronavirus shutdowns amid calls to help the hardest-hit industries and regions.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will detail "the next stage" of the Jobs Support Scheme today, ahead of new restrictions expected for the hospitality sector, writes the Press Association.

Cities in northern England and other areas suffering a surge in Covid-19 cases may have pubs and restaurants temporarily closed to combat the spread of the virus.

And ministers are expected to outline a three-tier local lockdown system on Monday, which may see high-risk individuals told to stay at home for months and fresh measures for businesses.

There are particular concerns for the hospitality sector, as it faces new restrictions with data indicating it is linked to a significant number of transmissions.

Chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty on Thursday briefed MPs representing constituencies in northern England and the Midlands, where infection rates are at their highest.

He showed them slides saying that pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes account for 30 per cent of "common exposure settings", according to preliminary analysis of contact tracing by Public Health England. The figure rises to 41 per cent for under-30s.

Regional leaders and unions have been calling for fresh financial support to prevent further lay-offs when new restrictions are imposed.

A Treasury spokeswoman said: "The Chancellor will be setting out the next stage of the Job Support Scheme later today that will protect jobs and provide a safety net for those businesses that may have to close in the coming weeks and months."

The announcement will come as new figures showed the pace of the UK's economic recovery has slowed considerably, with GDP up 2.1 per cent in August, less than half of what experts had expected.

Sources said it was wrong to describe the new package as a local furlough scheme, which some have called for the government to develop.

The furlough scheme, which has supported millions of workers and warded off larger levels of job losses, will cease at the end of the month.

It will be replaced by the less generous Jobs Support Scheme, where the government will pay up to 22 per cent of wages for workers who come back part-time.

MPs said they were led to believe that the NHS may not cope if case numbers continued to rise in their areas.

Skills minister Gillian Keegan told BBC Question Time: "This is serious, it is getting out of control, and we have to do something to bring it back under control."

Among the regional leaders criticising the government for failing to consult them on changes is Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who said he would challenge any closures.

New restrictions on Scotland's pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes come into force from 6pm today.

Across most of the country venues will only be allowed to operate indoors between 6am and 6pm and not serve alcohol, but they will be able to sell drinks until 10pm in outside areas.

However, pubs and licensed restaurants in five health board areas will be forced to close for 16 days as of Friday evening.

Establishments in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian, and Forth Valley can only provide takeaways during this time with the temporary measures set to end on October 25.